Forums of the Megaverse®

I've been toying with the idea of 'Savaging' TMNT/AtB and am curious how important this community thinks the Mutant Animal creation/building aspect is in maintaining the flavor of the setting as opposed to simplifying the mutant animals to reflect the traditional comic appearance (No Looks, Full/Partial Hands, Full/Partial Biped, and Full Speech).

NOTE: Savaging (verb) - Conversion of an existing setting to the Savage Worlds rules. (ex. Savage Rifts)

Rali wrote:I've been toying with the idea of 'Savaging' TMNT/AtB and am curious how important this community thinks the Mutant Animal creation/building aspect is in maintaining the flavor of the setting as opposed to simplifying the mutant animals to reflect the traditional comic appearance (No Looks, Full/Partial Hands, Full/Partial Biped, and Full Speech).

NOTE: Savaging (verb) - Conversion of an existing setting to the Savage Worlds rules. (ex. Savage Rifts)

For me, playing TMNT at about 15 or 16, the creation of the animal was what I loved the most. When someone said lets play TMNT I thought "we're all playing turtles?" But then I got to character creation and I ended up with an armadillo. I love that character even today and that's because I got to decided can he blend a little, pass as human anything. Some players in the group were were full looks and speech, me none and partial. I really think that variation is key to the game but I don't play hardly at all anymore so what do I know.

I also really like the character creation aspect of After the Bomb. I don't know how accurately it relates to the world of the TMNT comics. After the bomb is it's own thing now.
If you were to "savage" TMNT, that is exactly what that would be: a TMNT role playing game using Savage Worlds rules - an established fictional world combined with an established rule set - completely new and unconnected to any other role-playing game adaptions for TMNT that have come before it.
If you were to "savage" ATB, then I think that would have to consider the setting of ATB and try to replicate it. If mutants in ATB now might look completely human or completely animal and lots of combinations in between, then altering that would not only change the rules, but the setting.
In short, I think it depends on which setting you are trying to adapt to savage worlds rules, coz they're no longer the same. Hope that helps.

Warshield73 wrote:For me, playing TMNT at about 15 or 16, the creation of the animal was what I loved the most.

I'd wager most of us have spent way more time creating characters with TMNTaOS and AtB than we have actually playing. And I agree, the mutant animal creation rules are one of the CORE aspects of both.

Thankfully, Erick included an "Example Of Creating A New Animal Type" section in the original book which I can use to modify the Savage Worlds race creation rules. It would be more simplified compared to the Palladium rules, but still allow for personalized animal builds.

I'd probably tag the Cause of Mutation(TMNTaOS)/Character Backgrounds(AtB) as another CORE aspect of the setting. In Savage Worlds terms, this would set a characters Core Skills and any Special Bonuses/Edges.

Another CORE feature being Doctor Feral, who showed up in four of the TMNTaOS supplements, and one AtB game run by Erick Wujcik at the 2007 Palladium Open House. Since Feral is an original character created specifically for the game books, it just seems right to bring him with.

Soldier of Od wrote:I also really like the character creation aspect of After the Bomb. I don't know how accurately it relates to the world of the TMNT comics.

Honestly, I think it feels more related to the Archie Comics TMNT Adventures series, since that line had way more Mutant Animal characters in it. I'm mostly a Mirage Comics purist, but I still enjoyed the Archie Comics line.

People who are interested in this might want to take a look at a product called Big Apple Sewer Samurai, which is available at DTRPG.

Xar wrote: ↑Tue Nov 21, 2023 4:51 pm People who are interested in this might want to take a look at a product called Big Apple Sewer Samurai, which is available at DTRPG.

I picked it up when it came out. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to play it, but I do like it.

I have no interest in this idea. there are too many factors to change/convert/omit are too much.

I'm interested in taking a look at Big Apple Sewer Samurai, being basically a Savage Worlds take on TMNT. It sounds like it's focused on what's necessary, which is mainly a list of Edges for modeling animal traits.

As for other games in that vein I can recommend checking out Mutants in the Now/Mutants in the Next, which is very much an homage to AtB/TMNT with cleaned up mechanics which stay in keeping with a retro approach. I've been meaning to put together a character creation example to hopefully rouse a little interest in the game.

I've been meaning to read through Fat Goblin's Teenage Mutant Dirtbags, but can't speak to it yet.

Actually, I'd like to recommend Mutant Down, by Palladium freelancer alum, Mark Hall. I think it's pretty rad!

https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/pro ... utant-dawn